Rumor: Dead Space 4 Canceled

Update: EA has further knocked down rumors about Dead Space's grim future with an updated statement.

"These rumors are patently false," an EA spokesperson said in an official statement. "While we have not released sales data for Dead Space 3, we are proud of the game and it continues to be an important IP to EA."

Original story: Dead Space 3's attempt at bringing in more players by tweaking the horror/action balance seems to have failed. And if the rumors are true, that failure holds direct consequences for the series' future.

Videogamer.com, citing an anonymous source, is reporting that EA has canceled the unannounced Dead Space 4. The game was in the preproduction phase at Visceral's California offices, with help from a small team at Visceral Montreal. EA closed the latter studio a few weeks ago.

Dead Space 3 was yet another polarizing game, with players both praising and criticizing the series' turn away from survival horror toward action. Players had strong reactions to the game's use of microtransactions, as well. Whatever the reason, the rumor says that the title did not pull in numbers that EA felt like bragging about. Official sales numbers have not been released.

"While we have not announced sales data for Dead Space 3, we are proud of the game and it remains important IP for EA," a spokesperson for EA told us.